Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-13
THE LOST PICTURE.
Rose Lester read in her morni

THE LOST PICTURE.
Rose Lester read in her morning
paper:
''It is said that the rising young ar
fist. Mr.. Clarence Greyson. who pct-
ures made such success at the Acade-
my this year. is shortly to be united in
marriage to the charming and wealthy
widow, Mrs. Edith Vane. The mar
riage will take place some time during
the autumn or water.
The newspaper fell from Rose Testers
trembling hands, and she flung them up
to her face with bitter cry:
'Oh, God! it can't be trueT
Then she arose, and stood before n
picture, for it was the only one upon
the bare staring walls.
1t was water-eolor sketch, small,
but beautiful-,he laughing blooming
face of a fair young girl, peeping from
out n bower OF clustering roses. One
white and lovely hand, appraised, was
full of the glowing blossoms, and made
rs if about TO fling them at the behold
or, 1t was simply framed, and under
MY Rose of Roses"
1t was her own portrait.
''Only three years. she sighed bitter
IL, and dropped her face upon her
hands with dry fearless sob of pain.
''Too long test for mans constancy.
| shall be true to him until die"
And then her memory went back to
the olden days when first she knew and
loved him. That was during her ia
theirs lifetime.
Clarence had been engaged TO give
her drawing lessons merely. The re-
putedly wealthy Mr.. Lester stared
aghast at the presumption of the poor
and struggling artist who dared raise
his eyes with thought of love TO his
heiress and only child.
Though won't be too hard upon
you.n he said, Il desire only to secure
my daughters welfare. She is young
yet, only eighteen, and can afford to
wait il year or two. Take a year to
show me what you can really TO"
The cunning man of the world SAID
to himself:
III oppose them shall only incite
her 10 rebellion. Ill seem to sym.
pathize and separate them quietly; Rose
will forget the fellow when he's gone. "
But there are some natures that never
forget. and Rose Testers was one OF
them.
Mr.. Lester exerted his influence &c
obtain for Clarence a position TO travel
with wealthy amateur TO Italy.
He was making a collection of paint.
ings, and wanted the assistance of some
more experienced Judgment than his
own. The journey would secure to
the artist many advantages and a fair
salary
AT their parting Rose gave her lover
the portrait which his own hands had
painted. 1t had been her fathers, but
he said nothing against the disposition
she made of it.
Il will keep the original" said he,
land when YOU claim her you can give
the picture back
So Clarence babe farewell to his Rose
of Roses, and she set herself to the task
of waiting patiently for his return. Oh,
if that weary waiting had been for only
one year!
But it had heightened out to three
three years without a sign, without a
word-three years of strange and bitter
changes; and to-day Rose Lester had
only the picture that had strangely
come back to her and her own heart
pangs left of the old sweet love, and
rumor assigned Clarence to another.
but that may be untrue" she
thought, trying to escape from her own
jealous anguish 'How seldom does
aronp r,Iynn, c,,aal- No
to Edith Vane, above all others! Surely
Edith would have told me If it were so?
She is not like the rest of the cold
world. Reverse of fortune has not
robbed me of her sympathy and friend
ship, though it raised her from poverty
to wealth, and dragged Inc down from
wealth to poverty. She loves me still,
though l am but her paid embroideress.
| will take home her work to-day, and
ask her the question.
you read it in the papers!" laughed
Mrs. Vane, as she looked over and adj
mired the delicate work that Rose had
brought her "How do those papers get
at ones little secrets so, | wonder?
There is a grain of truth in it, dear;
and you snail do some extra fine work
for the occasion, if you will, when it ar
rives; but Why, dear Rose, how
pale you are! Oh, Rose, this close hard
work is killing You! Do give it up--if
only for q while-and come and live
with me. Nay, dear, don't be SO proud
posed to be one, and / poor governess
at your school-five years your senior,
and with only little beauty for my
dower-didn'ti you take me to your
house one vacation? And isn't it to
that that owe all my present wealth?
How else should have known the gen
erous man who loved and married me,
knowing my poverty? Oh, that be had
livedl [ did love him, Rose. Clarence
Greyson, with all his fame and fascina-
ton, will scarcely replace the love |
lost. But will you come and visit me
for while? | am sure you must be
very i'll, or you would not be so paler'
But Rose declined, and rose to 60
81 will bring home this skirt next
week, if possible" she said. Then,
with sudden generous impulse, kissing
her friends blooming check: "And l
wish you, from my heart, mach happi-
ness in your engagement, dear.
''Oh, as for that, there's nothing posi-
lively settled yet" laughed the merry
widow. "But I'll let you know when
the day is named"
So Rose went quietly back to the
lonely comfortless place she called her
home, and turned the pictures face
against the wall.
81 might have known it." she said
with the calmness of despair Would
he have parted with this if he had not
ceased to lovep All, never. neverr'
Nearly two years before, Rose had
seen the picture exposed for sale in n
shop-window.
To 90 and ask for the artist and
owner was her first impulse. Her heart
beat so that it almost choked her, with
hope of finding her lover.
For they had lost sight of each other
since his gong away. Her fathers
bankruptcy and death had hurled her
down from her old high place, 50 that
he could not find her; and she-having
held no correspondence with him-had
no means of discovering where he was